Known mortar shells have constructions including a maximum diameter zone from which the outer surface thereof conically tapers toward the front and the rear with an ogival curvature. These prior art shells include two sections which meet at approximately the point of maximum diameter along the outside surface of the shell body. The internal shape of these known body sections correspond more or less exactly to the external shape. In other words, they are tapered toward both the rear and front of the body section. This configuration requires extensive and costly machining operations.
Furthermore, known fin-stabilized mortar shells of ogival form have an inner hollow space which is cylindrical at the center of the shell body length. The single piece shell body is again contracted at its rear portion and is formed by suitable pressure forging of the material from which it is constructed. The wall of the rear body section is correspondingly weakened when using such a manufacturing procedure. Furthermore, the rear aperture, which has been left free to receive the tail tube, has a relatively small diameter. Thus, a charge content which is essentially pourable must be used to completely fill the inner hollow space of the shell body.